Shoes with pressed flowers and methods for making thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a shoe including pressed flowers thereon. Methods for a making a shoe with pressed flowers attached to the outer surface include the use of adhesive to bond the flowers to the shoe. The pressed flowers may be arranged on the shoe according to any desired or suitable ornamental pattern.

FIELD

The present invention generally relates to methods for making shoes with pressed flowers thereon.

BACKGROUND

Conventional shoes including ornamental flowers designs are produced by application of inks, paints, or other similar substances onto the surface of a shoe to attempt to recreate the look of a flower. It is an object of the present invention to produce a shoe using actual flowers or flower-like materials without the use of aforementioned substances.

SUMMARY

In exemplary embodiments, shoes may made and provided with pressed flowers thereon. An exemplary method for making a shoe with flowers disposed therewith comprises providing a shoe element comprising an outer surface with an adhesive applied thereto; disposing a plurality of substantially flat dried flowers on a backing according to an ornamental arrangement, wherein the dried flowers are disposed within a predefined area corresponding substantially to the shape of shoe element; pressing the outer surface of the shoe element against the backing with the disposed dried flowers; applying heat to the shoe element overlaying the dried flowers; removing the backing from the shoe element, with the dried flowers are affixed to the shoe element; attaching a transparent layer to the shoe element wherein the transparent layer covers the dried flowers affixed to the shoe element; and lasting the shoe element to a shoe sole.

In embodiments, the shoe element may be a non-woven fabric, the transparent layer may be a plastic film or PVC material. The shoe element may be a shoe upper. Further, attaching the shoe element to the sole may form at least one of a pumps, slingbacks, closed backs, sandals, flats, wedge, platforms, or boots.

In embodiments, the dried flowers may be at least one of hydrengeas, cosmos, verbenas, delphiniums, pansy, gypsophilas, and lobelias, or may be artificial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the disclosure will be more fully understood with reference to the following description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a shoe with pressed flowers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram for manufacturing a shoe with pressed flowers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate a process of manufacturing a shoe with pressed flowers according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate various shoe element shapes according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally relates to method of manufacturing shoes with pressed flowers. The shoes generally can be any type of footwear, for example such dress shoes, heels, sneakers, pumps, slingbacks, closed backs, sandals, flats, wedges, platforms, boots, and the like, to name a few. The flowers will be arranged to be affixed to the shoes so as to provide a pleasing ornamental look. The flowers will be any suitable dried flowers that can be pressed against a surface with an adhesive.

The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

According to an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 1 shows a view of a shoe 10 with pressed flowers 30. The flowers 30 are integrated and help form a modified shoe element 20 of the shoe 10. The modified element 20 is attached to a shoe sole 70 and a heel 80. In the modified shoe element 20 the flowers 30 are covered by a clear transparent layer (not visible).

According to exemplary embodiments, a method for manufacturing a shoe with pressed flowers, is described in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the process according to an exemplary embodiment.

In order to manufacture a shoe or other footwear product with pressed flowers, a backing 5 is provided with a shoe pattern at step 210. The pattern may include an outline of a shoe or part thereof when laid flat. For example, the backing may be patterned as the upper of a shoe when laid flat. The backing 5 may be any suitable substantially flat surface or material on which a shoe pattern can be made or imprinted, including, for example, cardboard, metal, plastic, laminated materials/surfaces, etc. The backing 5 may be resistant to being bonded or permanently bonded to an adhesive, such as glue and the like. Exemplary backings defining various outlines for shoe parts, are illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4B.

At step 215, after providing the backing 5, flowers 30 are disposed on the backing 5. The flowers are preferably dried and/or treated flowers, and/or artificial flowers that are made of any suitable fabric, woven material (e.g., silk), non-woven, paper, plastic, polymer (e.g., polypropylene), tanned material, metallic-based materials, and the like, to name a few. The flowers 30 are disposed within the shoe pattern outline. The flowers 30 are be placed within the outline as defined by the backing 5 according to any suitable ornamental pattern or arrangement.

The flowers 30 are preferably disposed upside down, or in other words with the face of the flowers touching the backing The flowers may be any type of flowers including, for example, hydrangeas, cosmos, verbenas, delphiniums, pansy, gypsophilas, lobelias, etc. The FIGS. 3A-3C, represent the flowers 30 as a single continuous space for illustrative convenience. However area labeled 30 merely represents the area where a plurality of dried flowers may be generally located or positioned relative to other components in accordance exemplary embodiments described herein.

At step 220, and as seen in FIG. 3A, the shoe element 40 is placed or pressed against the backing 5 having the dried flowers 30 already disposed thereon. In exemplary embodiments, the shoe element 40 includes a shoe material 40 a with an adhesive 40 b thereon. The shoe material 40 a may be any suitable material allowing an adhesive to bond thereto, for example, fabrics, non-woven fabrics, leather, plastics, etc. The shoe material 40 a may be a shoe upper, or a portion thereof, before it is attached to other shoe elements.

The shoe element 40 is placed against the backing 5 such that the adhesive 40 b comes into contact with at least the flowers 30. The adhesive 40 b of the shoe element 40 may be a dry adhesive attached to the shoe fabric layer 40 a.

In some exemplary embodiments a suitable adhesive may be applied to any of the flowers 30, and/or the shoe material 40 a before the shoe element 40 is pressed or placed against the backing 5 in step 220. In such embodiments the shoe element 40 may not need and may not have an adhesive 40 b on the shoe material 40 a.

In exemplary embodiments, it is desirable to minimize or avoid having any adhesive touch the backing 5 in any of the steps described herein.

After the shoe element 40 is pressed against the backing 5, then at step 230, heat is applied to the shoe element, as seen in FIG. 3A. Heat is applied to the shoe material in order to help strengthen the bond of the flowers 30 to the shoe element 40. Heat may be applied from an iron, hair dryer, oven, flame, stream, radiator, radiant heater, or any suitable source which can focus heat onto the shoe element 40. For example, an iron may be directly placed on the side of the shoe fabric layer 40 a not in contact with the flowers 30 and the backing 5. The shoe fabric layer 40 a may be ironed until the flowers are substantially bonded to the shoe element 40 by activating the adhesive, by melting at least a portion of a surface of the shoe element 40, or by any other suitable mechanism.

After heat has been applied to the shoe element 40, the backing 5 may be removed or separated from the flowers and/or the shoe element 40 at step 235, leaving only the flowers 30 bonded to the shoe element 40. This may be accomplished by peeling from the shoe element 40 and flowers 30 away from the backing 5.

As seen in FIG. 3B, after removing the backing, a transparent or translucent layer 50 may be attached or affixed to the shoe element 40. The transparent layer 50 can be affixed so as to cover the surface of the shoe element 40 with the flowers 30 disposed thereon. The transparent layer 50 can be affixed or attached through any suitable means, such as an adhesive, stitching, melting, etc. The transparent layer may be any suitable plastic sheet, film, PVC material, etc.

The result is the modified shoe element 20, as seen in FIG. 3C. The modified shoe element has a transparent layer 50, flowers 30 bonded to a shoe material 40 a. After the transparent layer is affixed, the modified shoe element 20 can be attached to other shoe elements. For example, if the shoe element 40 is a shoe upper, it may be lasted to soles, heels, and one or more linings can also be affixed.

Now that exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe comprising: a shoe element; a plurality of substantially flat and dried flowers covering portions of the outer surface of the shoe element; and a transparent layer disposed over and affixed to the dried flowers and outer surface of the shoe element.
 2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the dried flowers affixes to the shoe element via an adhesive.
 3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the transparent layer affixes to the dried flowers and the shoe element via the adhesive.
 4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the transparent layer affixes to the dried flowers and to the shoe element after heat is applied when the dried flowers are in contact with the shoe element.
 5. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the transparent layer is one of a plastic film, PVC material.
 6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a dry glue attached to the outer surface of the shoe element.
 7. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a glue.
 8. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the shoe element comprises a non-woven fabric material.
 9. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the shoe element is a shoe upper.
 10. The shoe of claim 1 comprising at least one of a pump, slingback, closed back, sandal, flat, wedge, platform or boot.
 11. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the dried flowers are at least one of hydrengeas, cosmos, verbenas, delphiniums, pansy, gypsophilas, lobelias, type flowers.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dried flowers are made of fabric.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the dried flowers are made of plastic.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the dried flowers are made of hard paper.
 15. A method for making a shoe with flowers disposed therewith comprising: providing a shoe element comprising an outer surface with an adhesive applied thereto; disposing a plurality of substantially flat dried flowers on a backing according to an ornamental arrangement, wherein the dried flowers are disposed within a predefined area corresponding substantially to the shape of shoe element; pressing the outer surface of the shoe element against the backing with the disposed dried flowers; applying heat to the shoe element overlaying the dried flowers; removing the backing from the shoe element, with the dried flowers are affixed to the shoe element; attaching a transparent layer to the shoe element wherein the transparent layer covers the dried flowers affixed to the shoe element; and lasting the shoe element to a shoe sole.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the shoe element comprises a non-woven fabric.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the shoe element is a shoe upper.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transparent layer is one of a plastic film or PVC material.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein attaching the shoe element to the sole forms at least one of a slingback pump, closed back, sandal, flat, wedge, platform, or boot.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the dried flowers are at least one of hydrengeas, cosmos, verbenas, delphiniums, pansy, gypsophilas, and lobelias.
 21. The method of claim 15, wherein the dried flowers are artificial. 